Food Network star Ina Garten of Barefoot Contessa fame isn’t shy about sharing her opinions. From her preferred brand of pasta sauce to the kitchen tools you absolutely need, the celebrity chef always tells her audience what to do in the kitchen. And they love her for it.

This expertise extends to simple meals like sandwiches, too. Garten admits that not all her meals are gourmet affairs, especially on lazy days. But when Barefoot Contessa opts for a sandwich, she usually avoids the American deli version for a very understandable reason.

‘Barefoot Contessa’ thinks deli sandwiches are too overstuffed

Yes, there can be too much of a good thing, which the Barefoot Contessa host insists happens with most deli sandwiches. She expressed her opinions in a 2015 Facebook post, where she praised European sandwiches and complained about overly stuffed American versions.

“My favorite sandwiches are ones they serve in France and Italy,” Garten wrote. “Unlike American deli sandwiches, which tend to be so overstuffed you can barely take a bite, these are perfectly crisp baguettes or slices of ciabatta bread, spread with creamy butter and the thinnest layer of salty prosciutto or ham.”

She went on to describe how she and her husband Jeffrey enjoy packing these simple sandwiches for picnics even when they’re hanging out stateside.

She said, “I pick up one or two takeout salads like tabbouleh or carrot salad and some ripe cherry tomatoes, and then all we need to do is find the perfect sunny bench in a neighborhood park.”

Ina Garten recently tried peanut butter and jelly for the first time

Unlike so many other kids, Barefoot Contessa didn’t grow up eating the classic sandwich combo of peanut butter and jelly. But the global pandemic changed all that.

During a conversation with Anderson Cooper, Garten admitted that she and Jeffrey were resorting to some new meal staples, including the noble PB&J.

“I have to say in the beginning of the pandemic, that’s what (my husband) Jeffrey and I had, too. And I don’t think I’d ever had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I mean, my mother never made them. And we were just like, this is great.”

She’s also a huge fan of grilled cheese

A second classic comfort sandwich that Barefoot Contessa has been enjoying is grilled cheese, but because she’s a pro chef, it’s not just your standard fare.

Garten’s grilled cheese includes a blend of high end cheeses including cheddar and gruyere, plus a spread with parmesan, Dijon mustard, and mayonnaise. She beefs up the protein on this lunchtime staple by adding a couple of slices of bacon, too.

Overall, the Food Network star is advocating comfort food that’s simple and soothing, especially during these stressful times. “I’ve almost given [fans] permission to make mac and cheese. We open the fridge and there are all these fresh vegetables that we bought but what we really want is a grilled cheese sandwich,” she told Page Six.

With recipes like these, even sandwiches can become delicious any time of day. As long as they aren’t too thick.

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